Hinge device for toilet lid

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION PROVIDES A NOVEL MOUNTING OF A TOILET LID AND SEAT ALONG WITH A NOVEL AND ECONOMICAL MEANS FOR CONCEALED ATTACHMENT THEREOF TO A TOILET BOWL WHEREBY THE INSTALLATION IS SUBSTANTIALLY WHOLLY FROM THE UPPER   SIDE, THUS PROVIDING EACE OF ASSEMBLY, YET WITH NO VISIBLE SCREWHEAD OR NUT.

' Jan. 26, 1971 v. WALDON 3,

I Y HINGE DEVICE FOR TOILET LID Original Filed April 1, 1965 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVI-INTOR W 3 VERNoN L-.WA p

AHaueys I V. L. WALDON Jan. 26, 197 1 HINGE DEVICE FOR TOILET LID 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 1, 1965 INVENTOR. VERNON L.. wm oou Fig. 8 wwflwwgml/wz m v A/Jorne S United States Patent Int. Cl. A47k 13/12 US. Cl. 4-236 8 Claims ABSTRACT THE DISCLOSURE This invention provides a novel mounting of a toilet lid and seat along with a novel and economical means for concealed attachment thereof to a toilet bowl whereby the installation is substantially wholly from the upper side, thus providing ease of assembly, yet with no visible screwhead or nut.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisional application of my copending application Ser. No. 444,581 for Toilet Lid and Seat Mounting Means, filed Apr. 1, 1965, now Pat. No. 3,377,633. 7

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to toilet lid and seat mountings, and to hinge-providing means useful in installations and applications such as toilet mountings where members are required to be hingedly connected.

Toilets are usually installed along a wall, and often in a corner or adjacent a tub. Such a location, plus the relatively low height of the upper bowl flange off the floor, renders quite inconvenient and awkward an installation requiring the installer to install or tighten connectors from the under-side. Yet connection means having a bracket which is connected or tightened from the underside have been used to avoid an upper-side visibility of a connector bolt or nut. Toilets also pose the requirement of both having the lid and seat pivot about the same axis, to avoid rubbing or squeaking of those members as they are swung; and the hinge means has to provide that co-axial pivoting yet avoid unsightliness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Concepts of the present invention, accordingly, provide a novel mounting of a toilet lid and seat, and a novel and economical means for concealed attachment thereof to a toilet bowl whereby the installation is substantially wholly from the upper side, thus providing ease of assembly, yet with no visible screwhead or nut.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING These and other details, concepts, and advantages of the present invention will further appear in the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying somewhat diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a toilet seat embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view, taken generally along section line 3-3 of FIG. 2, illustrating details of the hinge construction;

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of the end-portion of the mounting bracket, viewed from an outside rear viewing point;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting bracket, taken generally along section line 55 of FIG. 4, por- 3,557,393 Patented Jan. 26, 1971 tions thereof being broken away to illustrate details of the mounting bolt means;

FIG. 6 is a pictorial view of a mounting bracket according to another embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view, taken generally along section line 77 of FIG. 6, illustrating the mounting of the bracket of FIG. 6 onto an associated toilet bowl;

FIG. 8 is a detail view similar to FIG. 7, but illustrating a modified bracket and screw-concealing means; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating the hinge construction utilizing the mounting bracket of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As illustrated in the drawings, a toilet seat construction according to the first embodiment generally comprises a cover, lid or panel 10, a seat or panel 12, and a mounting bracket 14 for hingedly connecting the lid 10 and seat 12 to a toilet bowl 16.

According to concepts of the invention, the mounting bracket 14 is adapted to be mounted from the upper side, providing convenience and ease of installation and removal, yet with no visible bolt head or nut.

Providing this upper-side mounting, the mounting bracket 14 includes a central portion 18 which extends laterally across the rear of the toilet bowl 16, and carries adjacent each end an upraised ear or boss 20 which, as yet to be explained, hingedly carries the lid 10 and seat 12; and the bracket 14 is shown provided in the region of each boss 20 with an opening 22 which registers with an opening 24 provided in a flange of the toilet bowl 16, for a mounting bolt 28. The upper portion of each F boss 20 is provided with a counterbore 29 in line with the opening 22, the bottom surface of which provides a seat for the downwardly-facing surface of the bolthead 30; and the bolthead 30 is thus recessed into the counterbore 29. A cover 32, whose upper surface is contoured in accordance with the contour of the adjacent portion of the boss 20, is then slipped into the counterbore recess 29, concealing the bolthead 30.

Prior to installing the cover 32, the upperside mounting is made tight by the installer holding a nut 34 below the bowl flange and in registry with bowl-opening 24, as the bolt 28 is begun to be turned. The nut 34 is shown as having a washer 36 carried on its uper usrface, and an arm 38 carried by its lower surface. Frictional engagement of the bolt 28 and the threads of nut 34, as the bolt 28 is turned, moves the nut arm 38 into abutment with an associated wall or bead of the toilet bowl 16; and this abutting contact holds the nut 34 against further turning as having a washer 36 carried on its upper surface, and an tion, except for obtaining the initial registry of nut 34 with bolt 28, is entirely from the upper side, and no wrench or other tool is needed to be applied to the nut.

Other concepts of the invention provide novel hinge means for the seat 12 and lid 10, as are now to be explained.

The rear of the toilet lid 10 is shown as provided at each side, just laterally inwardly of the bracket-boss 20, with a downwardly-extending flange 40; and the rear of the seat 12 is shown provided, at a spacing such that they are laterally inwardly of lid flanges 40, with rearwardlyextending flanges 42. The adjacent surfaces of each flange 40 and 42 are shown provided with complementary semi-spherical recesses 44 and 46, respectively; and a ball 48 is provided, which, when the lid 10 and seat 12 are assembled by resilient deformation of flanges 40 and/or 42 to permit them to mutually receive the ball 48, hinged- 1y interconnects the lid 10 and seat 12 in a concealed manner.

Similarly, the adjacent surfaces of each bracket boss 20 and lid-flange 40, are shown provided with complementary semi-spherical recesses 50 and 52, respectively; and a ball 54 is provided which, when the lid and bracket 14 are assembled by resilient deformation of bracket-boss and/or lid-flange to permit them to mutually receive the ball 54, hingedly interconnects the lid 10 to the bracket 14 and thus to the toilet bowl 16, in a concealed manner.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment, wherein there are provided two laterally-spaced mounting brackets (rather than the single bracket 14 with spaced bOsses as in the first embodiment), each having, on each side of an upraised ear or boss 62, an integral semi-spherical protrusion 64. The two protrusions 64 of each bracket 60 form in effect a ball-shaped hinge-pin by means now described.

The toilet lid 10a (FIG. 9) has spaced downwardlyextending flanges 40a, the iner surface of each being provided with a semi-spherical recess 52a; and the spacing of the flanges 40a is such that resilient deformation must be imparted to the bracket-boss 62 and/or the lid-flange 40a to permit the lid 10a to be assembled onto the brackets 60, with each recess 52a fitted over the associated protrusion 64. With the lid 10a and brackets 60 assembled, the parts provide a concealed hinge connection of the lid 10a to the brackets 60 and thus also to the toilet bowl 16.

Similarly, the toilet seat 12a has spaced rearwardlyextending flanges 42a, the outer surface of each being provided with a semi-spherical recess 46a; and the spacing of the flanges 42a is such that resilient deformation must be imparted to the bracket-boss 62 and/or the seat-flange 42a to permit the seat 12a to be assembled onto the brackets 60, with each recess 46a fitted over the associated protrusion 64. With the seat 12a and brackets 60 assembled, the parts provide a concealed hinge connection of the seat 12a to the brackets 60 and thus also to the toilet bowl 16.

FIG. 7 illustrates means providing upper-side mounting yet with no visible screwhead or nut, for the embodiment of FIG. 6, generally in accordance with the first embodiment, the similarity being indicated by correspondency of reference numerals. However, in contrast to the first embodiment, in which the screw-hole 22 and countrebore 29 are located in a region of the upstnading boss 20, in the FIG. 6 embodiment the screw-hole 22 is located in the region of a flat flange 65 of the bracket 60; thus the cover 32 is of a simpler shape, having a horizontal top surface, yet it substantially is flush with adjacent portions of the bracket.

FIG. 8 illustrates modified screw-concealing means in which the upper end of the bracket-recess 29 is provided with an upraised rim 66, and a cover 32a fits over the recess 29 and rim 66, concealing the screwhead 30; and the rim 66 provides both a fitting seat for the cover 32a and a rim preventing the draining of liquid into the bracket-recess 29.

It is thus seen that either embodiment of the invention provides a mounting means of new and advantageous concepts, having features and advantages of ease and convenience of concealed mounting from the upper side, and concealment of the connector bolt and of the screwhead.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description of the invention according to the illustrative embodiments, considered with the accompanying drawings, and claims, that the invention provides a novel and advantageous mounting means having desirable characteristics and accomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention; accordingly the invention is not to be considered limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown.

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge mounting for mounting a toilet lid and seat onto an associated toilet bowl, comprising:

a mounting bracket extending laterally of said bowl generally symmetric about the longitudinal axis of said bowl and connected thereto;

a boss upstanding adjacent each end of said bracket;

a pair of symmetrically spaced flanges on said lid, and a pair of symmetrically spaced flanges on said seat;

said lid-flanges and said seat-flanges being located with respect to each other and with respect to said bracket bosses in such a manner as to present surfaces thereof operatively adjacent one another;

the said adjacent surfaces being provided with complementary recesses;

a substantially spherical, separate-ball, suitable for use as a bearing, fittable in each pair of adjacent complementary recesses.

2. A hinge mounting for mounting a toilet lid and seat onto an associated toilet bowl, comprising:

a mounting bracket means connected to said bowl generally symmetric about the longitudinal axis of said bowl and providing upstanding bosses one adjacent each bracket end;

a pair of symmetrically spaced flanges on said lid, and a pair of symmetrically spaced flanges on said seat;

said lid-flanges and said seat-flanges being located with respect to each other and with respect to the bracket bosses in such a manner as to present surfaces thereof operatively adjacent one another;

the said adjacent surfaces being provided with complementary recesses;

a substantially spherical, separate ball, suitable for use as a bearing, fittable in each pair of adjacent complementary recesses.

3. A hinge mounting for mounting a toilet lid and seat onto an associated toilet bowl, comprising:

a mounting bracket means connected to said bowl and generally symmetric about the longitudinal axis of said bowl providing upstanding bosses one adjacent each bracket end;

ball and socket joint means operatively interconnecting said lid and seat to said bosses.

4. A hinge mounting for pivotally interconnecting a toilet panel with an associated toilet bowl, comprising:

a bracket means connected to said bowl generally symmetric about the longitudinal axis of said bowl and providing mounting bosses one at each bracket end;

said toilet panel having symmetrical mounting means at spaced locations adjacent said bosses;

adjacent portions of each panel mounting means and associated mounting boss being provided with complementary recesses;

a substantially spherical, separate ball, suitable for use as a bearing fittable in each pair of adjacent complementary recesses.

5. A hinge mounting for pivotally interconnecting a toilet panel with an associated toilet bowl, comprising:

a bracket means connected to said bowl and generally symmetric about the longitudinal axis of said bowl providing mounting bosses at spaced locations;

said toilet panel having a mounting means at spaced locations symmetrically adjacent said bosses;

protrusion and recess means provided by the adjacent portions of each panel mounting means and associated mounting boss.

6. A toilet seat and lid assembly mountable onto an associated toilet bowl and comprising:

a toilet seat;

a toilet lid;

mounting bracket means for connecting said toilet seat and seat toilet lid to the back portion of said toilet bowl;

members a pair of upstanding on said means;

a pair of substantially spherical balls, suitable for use as bearings, one of each ball being fastened to the top end of said members one of said balls providing a pivotal bearing means for said toilet seat and lid assembly on said bracket means;

a pair of symmetrically spaced elements on the back portion of said toilet lid, each element having a surface facing the other and each element having a bearing recess therein;

an extension on the back portion of said toilet seat fitting with said elements and having a pair of surfaces adjacent said elements.

7. The toilet seat and lid assembly of claim 6 wherein said means, said members and said balls are integral, homogeneous and of the same material and said bracket means are symmetrically located with respect to the longitudinal axis of said bowl.

8'. The toilet seat and lid assembly of claim 7 wherein said elements and said toilet lid are integral, homogeneous and of the same material and said extension and said toilet seat are integral, homogeneous and of the same material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Gavin et a1 4-236 Bush 4-234 Muckenhirn 4-234 Duner 4236 Laski 4236 Ely 4236 Waldon 4236 Hake 22031 Eggers 220-31 Blumberg 16128 Fiore, Jr. 16128 FOREIGN PATENTS FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner 22 3 UNITED s'r TES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIQN I Patent No. 3,557,393 Dated January 26, 1971 Inventor(s) V rnon L. flaldon It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected .as shown below:

" vifi'gEBotm i Colmnnglg flieel and 43,; 'i5qfi havin u hould be Colbme 2;, jlrnegv ib', i,;'iuper .usifi' febie'i ffsrhould fbe "upper surface- 2, delete. having a wash eri36 earrie on it'eflupper' sur faeeQ-and an tion," and add --the bolt 28 ,is turned ,j nftighteflng: Thus the installation,

Colux nn "ji n'er" --inner- Column '11,, 46';Ve-ouhtreborefi' should be --counterbore-- Column 3, i1n'4e, 'u s-tnading" should be "upstanding- Column 5, line 3, "members epair? should be --a pair of l members-- Column 5 lifie 5, "one of each ball being fastened to the 12 end of said members one of said bjalls" should be --one of said balls being faetened to the top end of -c me. of said mem said ballsv Signed and sealed this 25th -of-' May 1971.

'(SEAL) Attest: J

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. B'IILLIAM -E. SCHUY-LER, JR. Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

